Beyond Our Borders
by SpencerBrown
Summary: Trouble is brewing in Valdemar, and Prince Duo must go on a quest to find his kingdom's salvation. Between mages, priests, warriors, spirit horses and firecats, his journey promises lots of adventure. A Heralds of Valdemar fusion.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: They're not mine, I just like adapting them to my own purposes. ^_~ All use of Valdemar and its surrounding countries belong exclusively to Mercedes Lackey. I claim no rights whatsoever, save posting this story for the non-profit enjoyment of my friends.  
  
Notes: AU. I suppose this was inevitable, given that Firesong's crush on Darkwind was the first yaoi relationship I ever read (and Darkwind and Elspeth's ekele tryst was my first lemon, for that matter). This is my humble ode to Mercedes Lackey and one of the beautiful worlds she has created. Also, I must thank Siadea and Jada. This fic had been half completed collecting dust in my room for a long while, but their "Return to Innocence" replenished my muse. Fablespinner's recent artwork led me to their fic, so many thanks go to her as well. I guess this shows that an author is nothing without her friends. ^_~  
  
Pairings: 1+2 and 3+4 I list them in this order because Heero and Duo meet first, but with my love for Quatre I can promise that the 3+4 will be the most prominent relationship.  
  
Beyond Our Borders  
  
by Spencer Valdemar series, by Mercedes Lackey  
  
Duo ducked into a crouch just as the broadsword swung sideways, missing his head by a mere breath. He quickly spun out, slashing at his opponent's legs as he did so. He knew his shorter, lighter weapon lacked the reach to do any damage, but hoped it might goad heightened reflexes into reaction. No such luck. As he twisted away the broadsword caught him across the back in a stinging line. His eyes watered form the pain, but he quickly swung back into combat, blinking back the moisture in his refusal to give up. The cocksure grin never left his lips. His opponent may be stronger and more experienced, but he was faster, and if there was any room for doubt, he could improvise. In the blink of an eye he shot forward, lunging right but charging through when his opponent swung away so that he caught his foot between unbalanced knees, sending them both to the ground in a mass of desperately struggling limbs. Having the advantage of surprise, Duo was a touch quicker, managing to at least maneuver himself atop his opponent's stomach, his blade an inch from the exposed throat. Unfortunately, in the split second before his blade could that inch to meet soft flesh, he felt the cold bite of steel against his own.  
  
"Damn." He smiled ruefully down at his unremittingly victorious opponent.  
  
"Guess I'm dead again?" The woman on her back beneath him chuckled, letting the blade drop from her pupil's throat.  
  
"Don't curse. It does not befit royalty, nor a Herald. Better concentration and initiative, though." He shrugged and slid to the side, allowing her to rise. "What's bothering you?"  
  
With a sigh, quickly turned to a groan by the fresh line of bruises throbbing across his back, Duo stood and sheathed his weapon and replaced it on the wall of training gear. The blonde soon followed, casually patting dust from her functional clothes and well-worn practice armor.  
  
"I don't know, Sally. These new attacks from Hardorn - if that's what they are - just don't feel . . . right." He crossed to the low bench along the wall and collapsed there. Small windows in the thick white plaster walls cut the late afternoon sun into warm golden shafts, illuminating the dust they'd stirred in their practice. Duo ran a hand through soaked chocolate bangs, brushing them from eyes bright with worry. "Every time one of those . . . 'creatures' crosses the border I can feel it."  
  
"How?" Sally had put aside her blade and sat beside the teenager, her gray-blue eyes suddenly alive with curiosity.  
  
Duo's face crumpled into an expression of disgust. "A sort of tingling, a sick feeling in the back of my mind."  
  
Sally nodded, lashes down as she silently weighed the implications and her options. There was not one she liked.  
  
"How long have you been feeling this, Duo?"  
  
"A few days."  
  
"None of the earlier attacks felt this way?"  
  
"Never."  
  
She sighed, wiping a callused hand across gray eyes as Duo watched, thoroughly confused. "That's a relief, anyway."  
  
"Sally, what's going on, and don't," he caught her gaze and held it, "tell me it's nothing or that it doesn't concern me."  
  
The swordswoman scowled for a moment, pleased by her student's tenacity, but afraid of its consequences, before standing abruptly and striding to a weapons rack on the far wall. She drew a practice dagger and ran her fingers along its rounded edge.  
  
"How much do you know of magic?"  
  
Duo burst out laughing, a reaction she had expected, as she remained somber. His amusement withered quickly, however, as he met her worried gaze.  
  
He snorted, uncomfortable in the silence. "That it doesn't exist." Now it was Sally who snorted, but Duo continued, bemused smile returning, confidence solid in his beliefs. "I know that a lot of strange things happen in the lands beyond our borders, and that the uneducated tend to call anything they don't understand, magic. I also know that if you take a closer, calmer look at these strange 'magics' than most people are willing to, they always turn out to have simple, mundane explanations."  
  
Sally nodded, slowly crouching in the dust to rest the point of her dagger against the packed earth floor.  
  
"It is easy, here, to forget what exists elsewhere in the world, but you will have to trust me when I say that magic does exist. It is simply Valdemar which has forgotten."  
  
Duo still looked as though he doubted her sanity, so she motioned him over. With the tip of her blade, she had drawn a rough map of Valdemar and the surrounding territories in the packed earth at her feet.  
  
"Dekim rules Hardorn," she indicated a jagged shape roughly two-thirds the size of their own country, butting against Valdemar in the northeast. "The Pinetower ridge runs north-south along most of the east, thus his troops attack over our northern border." Duo nodded, gazing down at the sketching. "To the west are several minor allies, none strong enough to help us fight, some of which Dekim has already conquered. He was stopped here," her blade traveled southward along the western edge until it was even with Valdemar's central city, Haven, "by the Scoured Wastes. Not even enchanted armies can cross that charred desert."  
  
Duo blinked, of course he knew intimately the political situation of Valdemar, but 'enchanted' troops?  
  
Sally continued, "Below the desert, lies Rethwellan, an ally strong enough to aid us, as long as Hardorn's attacks remain within our territory, not theirs. They could not withstand a direct assault, but are willing to assist us in any ways possible."  
  
"Which is why Princess Sylvia is here, speaking with Queen Relena as ambassador to her father," Duo interrupted lightly. He knew Sally was leading to a point, she never wasted words, but he couldn't begin to see what it was. "I know all of this. It's why the palace is in such an uproar over the negotiations. If we can form a strong alliance with Rethwellan and the other members invited to the Treaty Council, we may have the strength to keep Hardorn out permanently."  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
A pause drew across the silence.  
  
"What?"  
  
"If Dekim is using magic in the most recent attacks there is nothing Rethwellan, our other allies, or our own forces can do."  
  
Duo stood silently, dark violet eyes locked on the shape of his kingdom, commanding it to reveal such dark secrets. Sally knew the difficulty he was having. Born and raised in Ruvan, magic was a familiar practice, much like the farmer's craft, or the healer's. Her father would see the local hedge wizard whenever he needed weather advice for his crops, and she could still remember the year an angry rival had placed a frost spell on their village. Half the crop had been destroyed before they realized what was wrong and could find a mage to reverse the spell. Still, there was so much good that could be accomplished with magic, a safe energy source, protection, mindspeech. Sally knew for a fact that the healers' gift was related closely to magic. As captain of a mercenary band she had witnessed many a powerful mage drain himself to exhaustion supplying energy to an overworked healer. A mage could be an incredible warrior, defender, and ally, and the present Captain of the Royal Guard and Herald (she felt this was the greater honor), doubted she would have survived this many years without magic.  
  
A mage held great power, but mage energy was a neutral force; in good hands it could save a kingdom, in bad ones, decimate it. Everything depended on the person wielding the power, and if Dekim had discovered a way to use it . . .  
  
She shuddered, despite the heat of exertion, catching Duo's eye.  
  
Valdemar, a kingdom surrounded by powerful magics, which some suspected contained its own source of great power, had been, for as long as anyone could remember, completely oblivious to such forces. It was as if an enchantment had been laid on the kingdom -- recently Sally had come to believe precisely that. The kingdom's inhabitants seldom ventured beyond the borders, requiring nothing that could not be supplied locally. Foreigners rarely stayed for long, returning to their native lands with stories of a million eyes, always watching. Those who did remain soon contracted the skepticism of their neighbors, dismissing all they'd seen before as parlor tricks and coincidences.  
  
Sally had begun to succumb to this skepticism as well, until being asked to escort the envoy from Karse from their capital city of Solar safely back to Haven for the Treaty Council with Queen Relena. During the few days she spent in Karse, the deeper truth of her memories came rushing back, bringing with it a skepticism not of magic, but of Valdemar and its strange influence. She had intended to speak with Relena about this matter immediately, but in the three days of travel from the border back to Haven the sense of urgency was washed away, and other duties had seemed more pressing upon her return. The matter had slipped her mind almost entirely before Duo's revelation restored it with a jolt.  
  
So how was he to believe her after a lifetime's influence, when her direct intentions had been waylaid in a matter of days?  
  
"What should we do?" Sally blinked in startlement and was caught by an intense stare.  
  
"You believe me?" she asked in wonder.  
  
Duo's scowl deepened at those words as he struggled for an answer. Finally he gave up with a huff. "No."  
  
Sally's heart and resolve plummeted as she turned back to the map, but a warm hand fell on her shoulder.  
  
"But . . . I know you would not lie to me."  
  
Sally couldn't suppress her grin at these words. They held a hundred times more conviction than the denial, and if that was the best she could get, it was certainly enough.  
  
But that brought her back to determining a course of action.  
  
"If Dekim is using magic against us, we have to find a way of protecting ourselves." She turned to Duo. "You said you felt odd when Hardorn was attacking." Duo nodded. "Are you sure it was only during attacks, or have you felt it at other times, too?" Duo began to answer, then stopped himself.  
  
"Do dreams count?"  
  
"Absolutely." Sally nodded with enthusiasm, but this seemed to make Duo edgier.  
  
"Then, yes, I have felt it. At night I've dreamt the same feeling I've had during the day, but it's stronger, and darker somehow." He shivered, and Sally felt the growing chill of worry. "I thought they were only nightmares, but they feel so real."  
  
Sally took a deep breath and held it before releasing it slowly. This was exactly what she had feared.  
  
"The recent reports have been of strange creatures crossing the border. If you're right, he's using magic either to enhance native creatures, or to bring magical beasts here from the Outlands."  
  
"Beyond Ruvan?" Duo asked.  
  
"And Jkatha, yes. That's a long way to form a Gate," this was mumbled, more for her own ears or those of her Companion. "Either of these spells requires a mage of master level at least. If he can do this he is capable of much more, but he hasn't yet tried a direct attack against us." She paused for a moment, before speaking slowly, "I think he's just testing us now, making sure we won't strike back, but he will grow bolder, and we don't yet know how much power he has."  
  
"How do we protect ourselves from something we don't even understand?" The gravity of Duo's tone was becoming unnerving, despite its appropriateness. The young man was much more accustomed to smiles and laughter than this worried frown, and Sally regretted that she had been the one to affect this change.  
  
Still, the boy's quick wit and clear perception remained unaffected as he strove directly to the heart of the matter.  
  
"We need a trustworthy mage who can counter any magics Dekim sends against us."  
  
"We can ask the Council," Duo immediately supplied. "I'm sure someone will be able to help us. They're always hinting about 'powerful forces'." He snickered, a grin beginning to grow - much to Sally's relief - as he planned. "I always thought they were bluffing, just vying for sway with Relena." A mischievous gleam lit his eyes. "It will turn the Treaty Council into something of a tournament. Whoever supplies the mage we need will believe they have won more influence with Relena." He giggled. "But of course she will be fair to everyone, no matter what.  
  
"They just don't understand her, do they?"  
  
Sally smiled ruefully. "No, they don't, and they understand Heralds and Companions even less."  
  
"Oh! When Princess Sylvia's daughter asked me about Relena's 'ghost horse' I nearly died! I took her to meet Shinigami immediately, and I swear her eyes were the size of saucers when Shini nuzzled her. I think she really expected her hand to pass right through Shini's nose." He laughed. "That ought to start some new rumors around their palace."  
  
As their laughter faded, echoed by another set of chuckles rippling through their heads, Sally looked back to the map on the floor. "We can't ask the Council. We'll need to gather every healer and weather witch we can within our own borders, but no one else nearby."  
  
"What? Why?" Duo asked, confused.  
  
"To battle Dekim we need a mage of Master or Adept skill. None of our allied kingdoms has that powerful a force within their court, and I will not risk bringing a rogue with that much power into Valdemar. There's no telling where Dekim's treachery may have reached, and I will not entrust the future of our kingdom to an unknown renegade."  
  
"Then what can we do?" The calm Duo projected was merely a facade, and Sally knew it, but the mask was a good one.  
  
"There is a people, beyond the Dhorisha Plains, who work closely with magic, and who can be trusted with the task." She pointed to a spot on the map, a perfect circle to the soutwest of Valdemar and the lands just beyond. "They are close, secretive and seldom leave their own territory, but if we could convince a single Adept mage to aid us . . ." She left the rest unsaid, trusting Duo to value the outcome of this possibility at its true worth. It might be the only option they had, given the circumstances, and she needed Duo on her side before she approached the Queen with her idea. Convincing Relena of the necessity of this venture would not be easy, but with Duo's help it just might work. Being the prince of a powerful kingdom and first cousin to its Queen had its advantages.  
  
"So an envoy must be sent."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Hopefully to return with a . . . mage," he still stumbled over the word. A long pause followed, while Sally mulled over who should be sent. The answer was obvious, though Relena wouldn't like it any more than she did. He was an important official of the court, though his presence was not necessarily needed in Haven. He held the power of the crown and could make responsible decisions for the kingdom. He had been trained in defense and tactics. Most importantly, he had just revealed himself sensitive to magic, thus would have an advantage in the realms beyond their oblivious kingdom, and if worse came to worse and no mage was willing to come, perhaps he had enough talent to be trained to wield mage energies himself.  
  
:You know he's the best choice.: A calm voice spoke in Sally's mind.  
  
:You agree to this?: she returned silently, somewhat incredulous that her Companion should be so willing to send the boy out on his own, completely unprepared, into a dangerous quest that may have no prize.  
  
:He won't be alone. Shinigami would never leave him, and you've trained him well. The only way in which he is unprepared is in the use of his Gift, which he cannot learn here.: the voice replied, unremitting in its logic.  
  
:Shinigami agrees to this?:  
  
:Her Chosen is no longer a child. She believes he is capable of the task.:  
  
Sally sighed. No matter how long she had been bonded with Altair, he and the other Companions continued to surprise her. She would never understand how the brilliant blue-eyed creatures could be mistaken for ordinary white horses, and would never know exactly why Altair had Chosen her, a mercenary, to be a Herald, defender of the peace. The only answers she could wrest from him were vague assurances that it was meant to be, and that he had simply been waiting for the right time to find her. It all seemed too deep and pre-destined for her tastes, but over the years she had come to accept that as part of the nature of Companions, and she had to concede that she had never known them to be wrong.  
  
"This is the best solution?" Duo asked, drawing her back from her silent conversation.  
  
"It seems to be."  
  
He nodded once, then headed toward the door. "Then we must convince my cousin to let me go." With that, he was out the door, long brown braid flipping once in his wake.  
  
Sally sighed mentally, reaching for the comfort of Altair's presence in her mind.  
  
:You're sure he's ready for this?:  
  
:Is anyone,ever?:  
  
She sighed, again, but felt a surge reassurance from her Companion.  
  
:Do not worry, my Chosen. He will not go alone. Nanashi and her Trowa want to join them, and Darlian has already convinced her Relena to agree.: Sally couldn't help but chuckle aloud.  
  
:You certainly work fast, don't you?:  
  
:There is no time for delay.: The sudden severity of the gentle voice caught Sally off guard.  
  
:Dekim is using magic then?: she asked quietly.  
  
:We need help.: Was the somber reply. 


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: I am purposely not adhering to all the details of the original world created by Mercedes Lackey. As a fusion, I've placed Gundam Wing characters in a pre-fab world, but character changes lead to other changes as well. My wish is to stay true to my characters, and this precedes my loyalty to their world. I hope no one familiar with the series minds, I'll probably be making both minor and major changes as the Gundam boys, or simple brevity, require. Thanks.  
  
Beyond Our Borders Chapter 2  
  
The morning dawned crisp and cool, despite the early date. Summer was hardly past, yet the sun's first rays reflected gold in the highest fingers of the nearby trees.  
  
The wide expanse of Companions' Field still lay in blue shadow, as did the stable where Duo and Shinigami waited anxiously. Even in his barely reigned excitement, Duo was soothed by the gentle silence of this place. Memories of his own nights spent here, curled with Shinigami in the straw, came back to him, though he knew he hadn't had as many such nights as others.  
  
The Companions, though they looked for all the world like brilliantly white horses, were the heart, soul, and quiet strength that held the kingdom together. No one knew where they came from; they were not born, as other creatures; they would simply appear, galloping through the fields with their fellows, dancing in the sunlight and whinnying to the breeze. Each companion eventually Chose a partner, a Herald, with whom he - or she - would spend the rest of his life. Some Chose more quickly than others. There were a few Companions who had remained unbonded in Companions' Field for as long as anyone could remember, but once a bond was made, it was for life. When a Herald succumbed to death, his Companion followed.  
  
The Heralds themselves were an unusual lot, chosen from all walks of life. When a boy or girl was Chosen by a Companion, usually between the ages of eight and sixteen, he or she was brought immediately to the Collegium in Haven to be trained properly in the use of his or her Gifts. Gifts could range from simple Mindspeech, to Fetching, Farsight, Foresight, Healing, and the Bardic Gifts, among others. A Herald must have at the very least a bit of Mindspeech to speak with his Companion, so humans without any Gifts could not be Chosen, but what made a Herald was his heart. The Companions somehow had a way of seeing into a person's heart, the deepest recesses of the soul, to determine its make up. A Companion would not Choose a partner unworthy of the honor and responsibility.  
  
This surety of character provided the basis of Valdemar's justice system. Heralds were humans who had been Chosen, and who were subsequently trained and trusted to act as the kingdom's arbitrators and security. They traveled throughout the kingdom assisting wherever they were needed, providing peace and justice in the realm. It was not a safe, nor an easy occupation, but it guaranteed a lifetime of unconditional friendship and love from at least one source.  
  
The varied backgrounds of the Heralds created a sensitivity within their ranks to all the citizens they served, from the noblest lord to the dirtiest child in the streets, and providing justice and hope to those deprived of such was a calling none could refuse. Often, brightening the hopes of one childhood helped make up for those which had been crushed years earlier. Duo knew that, unlike himself, most Heralds, when Chosen, were taken away from lives sad and frightening, possibly even rescued from death or worse. Companions would often travel far and wide to find their Chosen, occasionally even venturing outside the borders to rescue a child in need.  
  
This was what made the Companions' stables such a comforting place for so many. Given a sudden ray of sunlight and unconditional love in a life previously devoid of such, and immediately thrust into a new and confusing life, many Chosen would refuse to leave their Companion's side, even sleeping in the gateless stalls. It was not unusual at all to find a newly Chosen Herald asleep alongside his Companion. In fact, Duo thought he'd spied one or two this morning, during his hurried preparations.  
  
The day before had been a frenzied rush of people and things, the details of which remained a blur in Duo's fluttering mind.  
  
He and Sally had gone immediately to the Council room, seeking Queen Relena's audience as soon as could be arranged. Since all the Companions could speak with one another, Altair had relayed everything to Dorlian, who had already informed her Chosen of the situation. Queen Relena called a brief recess of the Council immediately upon their arrival, gave her reluctant approval, and wished her cousin all the luck he could need. Before his departure she had pulled him into a tight embrace, startling him momentarily, but which he soon returned with enthusiasm. Though not true siblings, Duo and Relena had grown up together, and their affection for each other was strong and longstanding.  
  
Due to the urgent need for departure and enormous amount of work to be attended to first, they had not met since, and Duo fervently hoped that he would be successful. If he did not return soon, who knew what terrors Dekim could send into his homeland? He was determined not to leave his cousin alone to fight that threat. The Heralds and Companions were strong, but even Shinigami knew they could not handle this alone.  
  
"We're ready."  
  
Duo turned as another Herald emerged from the golden warmth of the stables, striding into the glistening dawn-light alongside his Companion. His long gray cloak swung loosely from his shoulders, flowing down to brush against his gray-booted calves. Loose fitted breeches and a clean cut tunic completed the ensemble, entirely a deep charcoal gray. Long bangs of cinnamon-brown hair were the only color on his frame, as they fell in a curtain across his eyes. Though Duo had been chosen early, at the age of seven, and had already completed his Heraldic training, Trowa had only been chosen 3 years ago, and had yet to earn his whites.  
  
In this scenario, though, Trowa appeared to have the advantage. While they gray was inconspicuous, Sally had refused to allow Duo to wear his own uniform, asserting that anywhere besides Valdemar solid white simply screamed "Here I am, shoot me!" Since a Herald rarely wore anything other than his whites, Duo had been forced to go begging among his friends for 'normal' attire, and not all fit him particularly well. The cloak, in particular, was Sally's own. It was a deep forest green, perfect for hiding in the forest, and its weight was more than accounted for by its warmth and durability, if they ran into severe weather, he would be far better off in this than Trowa in his Trainee grays. Still, sally was nearly a foot taller than he, and the cloak reached all the way to the ground. If he wasn't careful, he would be tripping over himself the entire trip.  
  
:Then learn to be careful. It is a good skill for a Herald to possess.: Shini laughed seriously into his mind. Duo tugged at the cloak in exasperation as Trowa, Shinigami, and Nanashi looked amused.  
  
"Ready to go?" Trowa's smooth voice spurred Duo from his grumbling and he nodded, swinging easily onto Shini's back.  
  
:Wait. We need another.:  
  
:What?: From the expression on Trowa's face, Duo guessed Nanashi must have given him a similar command, but no one else was supposed to be coming. If the Queen or Sally's plans had changed, they would have been informed immediately.  
  
:Who else is coming?: Duo asked.  
  
:The priest.:  
  
:Huh?: That eloquent remark was cut short by the sight of a rider entering the field by the north gate. An ebony stallion strutted across the frost, his red cloaked rider perched tall in the saddle.  
  
:Why would a priest want to come with us?:  
  
:Perhaps you should ask him.:  
  
The priest bowed slightly as he pulled his mount up beside the two Heralds.  
  
"I am Chang Wufei, an envoy from Karse." Duo frowned, but bowed his head respectfully. He had seen the boy in the Council meetings, but had taken him for a scribe, not a priest. His garments, however, spoke differently, confirming his introduction.  
  
"Please forgive my bluntness," Duo held the priest's dark gaze, "but why would a diplomatic envoy wish to join us?" Wufei frowned, as though a bit unsure of the answer himself, but spoke evenly, drawing aside the front of his thick cloak.  
  
"Nataku has advised it."  
  
Perched on Wufei's saddle, on a blanket apparently designed for just such a purpose, was a large golden cat, flipping its tail to and fro. She gazed at Duo, wide coppery eyes challenging him to argue. After an extended moment of silence, Trowa's soft voice released the tableau.  
  
"A firecat?" Wufei nodded with pride, and Trowa inclined his head toward the feline. "We gladly greet you, Lady, and will be grateful for any aid you may offer." Nataku seemed to swell a little with this, obviously pleased. With a nod, Wufei brought his cloak back around to enclose his firecat, shielding her from the chilly morning air.  
  
The firecats of Karse were believed by many to be avatars, vessels of the Goddess who served as guides to the most powerful priests of the theocracy. For centuries, though, they had become so rare as to be almost a legend. The High Priestess, Mariameia, was known to have been visited by a firecat at an extremely early age, a fact which had allowed her to claim the position at such an early age. They were sure signs of power, and if the legends were true, unshakable bravery.  
  
:Now we're ready.: Shinigami mindspoke gently.  
  
The morning sun had worked its way up just enough to peak onto their faces as they sat tall, casting a final glance over the Collegium and Palace. They knew they would not return for a long while, even if they were successful, and war was far too cruel and unpredictable. Duo send a prayer to the Goddess that Haven would still be here when he returned.  
  
The molten gold and orange of the treetops, now brilliant cascades of fire, burning in the early sunlight, seemed almost an ill omen, but Duo pushed that thought away, turning toward the road. "Let's go, Shinigami."  
  
* * * 


	3. Chapter 3

Beyond Our Borders Chapter 3  
  
Duo sighed and tugged at his cloak. The chill had lifted as they traveled south, yet for the past day and a half a steady rain had been falling. It was almost dark on their eighth day of travel, and the innkeeper they'd spoken to that morning had said they should reach Kata' Shin'a'in by nightfall. It was now nightfall, and there was no trade city.  
  
Duo glanced sideways to see Trowa hunched over Nanashi's back. The boy's gray cloak was soaked through, and he must have been just as miserable as Duo, yet the young bard had born the past week with an unshakable calm and quiet cheer that Duo had come to envy greatly. Every night he would speak softly with the owner of whatever inn they came to and secure rooms and shelter for their mounts. Though they were more concerned for the Companions than for Wufei's mare, they still refused to leave the poor creature out in the cold.  
  
The young prince sighed again, hunkering closer to Shini's warm white hide. He patted her soft neck affectionately, smoothing away trickles of cold water.  
  
:How're ya' doing?: Shinigami shook her mane with a tired snort.  
  
:I'm cold, hungry, wet, and tired. I'm completely soaked, have mud halfway up my sides, and your cloak weighs as much as the palace wall.: Duo couldn't help but chuckle at his Companion's pitiful tone.  
  
:Ah, but at least it keeps you mostly out of the rain.:  
  
:Mostly.: Duo had to laugh at that. Companions were usually so cheerful and perky, it took a lot to get one to grumble.  
  
:How about Nashi and Trowa?: There was a pause as Shinigami conferred with her friend.  
  
:They would like to be someplace warm and dry, with hot food and drink, and a soft bed, but other than that they've no complaints.: Right.  
  
They rode a while longer in silence before Wufei straightened in his saddle. "The sun is setting." Duo blinked at the priest from under his dripping hood.  
  
"How in the Goddess's name can you tell that? It's been the same shade of gray all afternoon." Wufei shrugged.  
  
"I just know. It means we should be arriving soon." With that the raven haired boy fell back into silence, leaving Duo to mutter ineffectually at the rain. Just as he was about to start cursing the innkeeper for bad directions he felt Shinigami perk up. :Chosen, look.:  
  
Duo lifted his face to a rolling sea of lights. The rain had lessened just enough to reveal the deep shadows of the plains spreading before them, raising vast banks of mist which rolled hazily over the city. Flickering yellow lights appeared in the valleys, fighting weakly through the deep gray fog, then disappearing again beneath a rolling crest. The whole city seemed sunk beneath a stormy sea of clouds, twinkling coyly up at her newest arrivals.  
  
For a time they simply stood there looking, quite lost in the dark beauty before them. The rain fell unnoticed on their glistening faces, catching the strongest glints of lamplight and scattering them back to the night. Duo was the first to catch his breath, a gentle cloud blooming in the moist air.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"I have heard of this city's dangers and intrigues, but never of it's beauty," Wufei offered softly. Nataku had peeked out from Wufei's cloak, and her eyes seemed to glow with the sight, smiling down on this new adventure with anticipation. Wufei unconsciously stroked her head, smoothing away the chilly raindrops.  
  
"It's haunting," Trowa breathed, lost in the vision.  
  
The party stood, entranced, until a persistent raindrop found its chilly way down Duo's neck.  
  
"Well, whatever it is it should have an inn, so lets get going." :Come on, Shini.: Soaked to the bone, they needed no more urging, the group descended beneath the waves.  
  
* * * New characters in the next chapter, I promise. ^_~ 


	4. Chapter 4

Beyond Our Borders Chapter 4  
  
The inn may not have been located in the safest area of the city, but it was warm, dry, had a large stable, and took Valdemarian coin, a necessity Duo had not even thought to consider. Who knew these foreign lands would have foreign currency? It wasn't as though a prince was allowed freedom to travel beyond the borders. It was deemed an unnecessary risk, though now Duo wished he had been granted a little more experience in the wider world. Stumbling into the trade city he'd witnessed not only new languages, styles, and cultures, but entire species he'd never known to exist. He also didn't like the way people kept staring at the Companions. Sure, they were very pretty, but hadn't these people seen white horses before?  
  
:I am not a horse.: A dignified snort rang through his head. Shinigami was tucked safely away in the stables, but that didn't mean she was too far away to listen in.  
  
:I know that, Darling, but you must admit that to someone who doesn't know of Companions . . .:  
  
:I'm still not a horse.: Now she sounded just like a petulant child, and Duo couldn't help but laugh. Trowa chuckled as well, but quickly explained at Duo's raised eyebrow.  
  
"Shinigami wants me to kick you since she's too far away to do it herself." Do stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "What?"  
  
"You can talk to Shinigami?" Trowa smiled, far too used to this response.  
  
"Sure. I can mindspeak with any Companion. It's one of my gifts." He shrugged and turned back to the fire, watching the light play over the logs as it slowly dried their still dripping clothes.  
  
"Huh," Duo muttered as he carefully unpacked his saddlebags. No matter how long he'd known the Herald-Bard he never seemed to stop learning about him. He frowned as the bags emptied without producing the object he was looking for. He searched again, but Sally's talisman had vanished.  
  
:Chosen, what's wrong?: Shinigami couldn't read his mind without his consent, but his rising panic was washing along their bond.  
  
:I've lost it!:  
  
:Lost what, Beloved?: Her voice was calm, trying to soothe his growing agitation, but he wasn't allowing it to work.  
  
:The talisman. Sally's talisman that she gave me to take us across the plains. It's gone. How will we get across without it? We've barely begun and I've ruined our chances.:  
  
:Chosen, calm down.:  
  
:How can I calm down? We can't get across the plains without that talisman, and going around will take months. We don't have the time to waste. By then Dekim and his magic beasts could have destroyed the entire country, and who's to say we'll even be able to find a mage once we find these people? Or what if the mage isn't trustworthy, and when we bring him back he decides to work with Dekim. Or-:  
  
:Chosen!: Shinigami came as close as she ever would to shouting at her Herald, stopping his rant before it could escalate any further. :Do not try to guess the future. That is not your gift. We will find a mage, and we will return to Valdemar with aid. Dekim will not overcome our home. Do not panic. We will find a way to succeed. It may be different than we had planned, but we will succeed.: The certainty in her voice flowed over him like a cooling stream, soothing the panic and settling his mind and heart.  
  
:You seem so certain.:  
  
:I am, Chosen.: She knew he was still unsure, but he spoke, quietly, tentatively.  
  
:Why?:  
  
:Because I have faith in you, my Chosen, and in our companions. Together, we cannot help but succeed.:  
  
* * * 


End file.
